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Show 7 i"'J*!*! Tuesday, ^September 25,2007 OPINION www.dailyutahchronide.com THE CHRONICLE'S VIEW Make do America and cheating: how you can get ahead W e've all done it. Eyes wander tofilled-inScantron bubbles. A summer spent battling online Ores becomes a season of "studying abroad" on a re'sume". A terrible slice into deep rough turns up with a miraculous lie. We are a nation of cheaters. It was big news when Barry ' Bonds chased down the home-run record. Whether it was the color of his skin or the stench of his attitude, many people rooted against him. He is a cheater. His record deserves a large, pointy asterisk. It doesn't stop there. Now the same scheming comes from Rick Ankiel, the SL Louis Cardinal who purchased 12 months' worth of human growth hormone from a Florida pharmacy from January through December 2004. And let's not leave out the recent ' cheating by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. A man with an attitude arguably worse than Barry Bonds doesn't get suspended for even one game. Pacman Jones sits at home and begins a career as a pro wrestler, and Bill Belichick walks sidelines with a light conscience and ' a heavy hand—weighed down by three ill-gotten Super Bowl rings. 1 • I don't see the problem. Let's stop pretending we are a nation of NICK PAPPAS moralists. Sports have always been a microcosm of society. The religious right wants all our elections to focus on values and personal responsibility, yet many of them are committing felonies at tax time, lying to insurance companies or misleading their investors. The difference is simple. The worth of a man is no longer measured in terms of good deeds or kindness, unless that kindness can be turned into dollar signs. We have two moral compasses—one that dictates how dirty our sex is and how damaging our drugs are, and another very different ethical guide that focuses on business. When profit and pocket money are the only measures of success, fairness goes out the window. It's increasingly tempting to leave your ethics at home. An extra home run can be the difference between a $5 million contract and one worth $20 million. A CEO will inflate earnings reports to please Wall Street—and increase their personal stock options by millions while leaving their workers to pick up the pieces. So leave Barry Bonds alone. He's no different from anyone. The only way to make it big in this game called the American Dream is to take a few extra dollars from the Monopoly bank. Business ethics is an oxymoron. My advice to the students at the U is to cheat as much as possible. We should have a business class on cheating—and it should be required. Assignments could focus on ways around tax code, paying off politicians and finding new and innovative ways to take money out of your employees' pockets. No papers will be accepted unless they are purchased from an online source and grades will be given based on how well pre-made cheat sheets are hidden. Any student who doesn't get an "A" is encouraged to bribe and/or blackmail the teacher. It's time we started learning ways to actually succeed in capitalist America. I'll be the first one to register—as soon as I find a way to steal the tuition. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Ihe Union Programming ' Council is an organization that does great. things for the students at the U. However, after a recent skirmish involving a funding cut for Crimson Nights from ASUU, one has to wonder if UPC needs as much money to pull off the event as it's had in the past. Earlier this year, UPC was given $15,000 from the Associated Students of the University of Utah's general budget, but requested an additional $25,000 ,pf funding specifically for Crimson Nights. But, adhering to the desire of the ASUU administration tofollowall rules within Redbook, the most UPC can receive is $5,000—the maximum amount given to any student group at the U. In this debate, each side has the potential to create a strong case. ASUU should be following the rules in Redbook, and to know that flagrant ignorance of rules regarding student-group funding has gone unnoticed in the past is disturbing. On the other hand, Crimson Nights is perhaps the most highly attended series of events (aside from sporting events) on this campus and students really seem to enjoy being able to attend such an exciting, social atmosphere for free. Regardless, it is almost certain that UPC will have to plan its year with only an additional 55,000, but the predicament has the potential to be a good lesson for both UPC and ASUU: How to spend less while still providing an outlet for students to have fun. If ASUU is going to require UPC to operate within a budget • • 4 that will require cutting various activities and perks, it too should take a note and save where it can. For starters, T-shirts are a flatout waste of money. According to the UPC budget for Crimson Nights in August, t66y was spent on shirts for the staff. This same trend is seen in ASUU right now as people walk around in Homecoming 2007 shirts. Lanyards for staff were even more expensive for UPC at $779. These purchases are made for nearly every big event. But how hard is it to buy one set of T-shirts and one set of lanyards, and return them at the end of an event? The examples could go on, but the point is that there are places where money does not necessarily need to be spent. As for other places where the money seems necessary, well, maybe the stu••h dents wOl just have to do without the bells and whistles for now. The changes will be inevitable for UPC, and while it might have been a blow, Crimson Nights can still be a fun event even with a reduced frequency or fewer frills. •1 But, while it is UPC that is being forced into a budgetary change, parties on both sides need to exercise frugality with the money that comes to them from students at the U. 1 1 1 •pi I 1 Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah (jhronicte Editorial Board. Signed editorials, editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author, The forum created on the Opinion Page is one based on. vigorous debate, while at the same time demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because of race, ethnic background, religion, creed, gender;:' appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. \ All letters to the editor will now be published online at www.daily utahchronicle.com. Letters that the editor deems best represent those received will be printed in the newspaper. 4 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Please accept me as I am Editor: What my black eyes see I see every day. They smile at me. They don't know who I am, nor do I know who they are. I heard somebody calling them Mormons, but not sure why, for they all looked like humans. The other day two of them came to my door saying that they have a message for me. So I let them in and we started talking. The two men told me that I have been thinking wrongly my whole life and that my values were all incorrect and added that there is only one path toward light, the path that they are following. We spoke a little longer before they left, and every second that went by, I was reminded how wrongful my beliefs were. As I was thinking that night, I wished that I would get another chance to meet the young men, because I had many questions to ask. Why are they going door to door, trying to persuade everyone to think the way they do? Would the world be a better place if all people were Mormon? Why do they always talk about diversity when they don't believe in it? It seems that no one, in Utah believes in diversity. They don't accept and respect the way others think, otherwise they would be knocking on the doors of people's hearts, letting them know that there is no right or wrong in the way we make sense out of this complicated world, for we are all unique, both inside and outside. They still smile when I see them. They still look at my eyes without blinking. The difference is that I now know who they are, and will help them understand and accept who I am. Pa yam Ishani Junior, Biology True justice in short supply in the United States A merica has many traditions. Sadly, one La. In retaliation, some of them is the oppression of minoriCaucasian students hung ties (racial and otherwise) because of nooses up at the school, perceived differences and supposed superior- presumably to intimidate ANASTASIA ity of the majority over the minority. the black students in a A current situation in Jena, La. (aka the show of racism. Afighten- NlEDRICH "Jena six" case), is another unfortunate sued between all involved instance of members of the majority (Caucastudents. A Caucasian sian) oppressing the minority (blacks). student was beaten by the Tragically, racism (previously embodied black students, but not sein the form of slavery and other means) has riously harmed. The Caucasian students were • been prevalent in America since colonization. merely suspended for their actions, while the - While there are laws in place to protect racial black students were charged with high-pen• minorities, they are often not followed or alty crimes. The Caucasian district attorney even ignored by racist members of the major- prosecuting the case stated that his reason for ity in power. not prosecuting the Caucasian students was he could find no law under which to charge Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Injustice them with a crime. anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." That being the case, right now injustice in These events, now known as the "Jena six " Louisiana's Jena six matter is threatening matter" have worsened already-poor racial justice everywhere. relations in Jena. The charges and cases filed I take issue not only with racism, but also by the D.A. against the black students are still ' the inequity in the legal system in the Jena six pending further outcome. case. I believe that discrimination in any form To put it frankly, the District Attorney's ' (racial or otherwise) is absolutely wrong. All claim that he could not prosecute the Caupersons should be treated equally—especially casian students for their actions because under the law. there are no laws to prosecute the Caucasian The background of this matter is a long sto- students under is bull excrement. I am an ry that is unfortunately ail-too typical. Sparing undergraduate student who is not an attorney many relevant details that I would encouryet (but aspires to be) and even I was able to age you readers to investigate from credible find several laws under which the D.A. CQuld news sources, the header's Digest version of have prosecuted the Caucasian students. Such the facts is as follows: A black student asked laws include Louisiana Revised Statutes (LRS) permission in an assembly to sit beneath a sections: specific tree on campus—a privilege reserved LRS § 14:225 governing institutional vandalfor Caucasian students at this school in Jena, ism (hanging of nooses on school property); 4A-. sl* LRS § 14:122.1 governing interference and intimidation in the operation of schools (on school property); LRS § 14:8 and 14:36 governing criminal conduct and assault in the form of intimidation; and LRS § 14:107.2, Louisiana's hate crimes law; which increase the penalties for offenders upon conviction for other crimes. Perhaps Jena's D.A. needs a refresher on legal research, or alternatively, a course on how not to racially discriminate when prosecuting crimes. As Harper Lee said in To Kill a Mockingbird, "the one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow." Unfortunately for the Jena six, black students and millions of others, what ought to be—judicial equality and equal treatment under the law—is not the actuality. Racial iniquities in the legal system and elsewhere abound. According to the non-profit organization Human Rights Watch, blacks comprise 13 percent of the national population, but 30 percent of people arrested and 49 percent of those in prison. If the Jena District Attorney had his way, I'm sure the Jena six students would be an addition to this statistic. Fortunately for the Jena six, a great deal of attention and aid has been brought in their defense. We can only hope that this support will result in a legally and otherwise fair outcome for all students involved with the Jena 6 matter. Only time will tell. The Jena six matter is regrettably far from the only unfair, racist situation happening in America or our legal system today. Although anti-racism laws have been in place for around 70 years, racist events still happen in every U.S. state every day. Racism rears its ugly head in everything from prejudicial legal practices to the maltreatment of minority races in innumerable everyday situations. Thomas Jefferson (who fathered children with his black slave Sally Hemings) once said, "Bigotry (racism) is the disease of ignorant and morbid minds. Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both." B While this column has been an attempt to facilitate "education and free discussion," I encourage all of you to obtain more information for yourself on the Jena six matter and other racial iniquities in the U.S. legal system. I also encourage you to do anything and everything you can to fight for "justice everywhere," in the form of equal treatment, liberty and justice for all Americans, no matter thenrace. By educating ourselves and working together, and by acting to affect positive change, perhaps someday Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream can be realized: that all people "will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." letters@chronicle.utah.edu |
